This study will compare the efficacy and safety of escalating versus standard doses to rash of Tarceva, in combination with gemcitabine, in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. During a 4 week run-in period, all patients will receive Tarceva 100mg/day po plus gemcitabine 1000mg/m2 iv on days 1, 8,15 and 22. After 4 weeks, patients who have not developed rash, or only develop grade 1 rash, will be randomized to one of 2 groups. Group 1 will receive a starting dose of Tarceva 150mg po daily, increased in steps of 50mg every 2 weeks up to a maximum of 250mg/day po, until development of grade 2 rash or other dose-limiting toxicity. Group 2 will continue to receive Tarceva 100mg/day po. All patients will continue to receive gemcitabine 1000mg/m2 iv on days 1, 8 and 15 of each 4 week cycle. The anticipated time on study treatment is until disease progression, and the target sample size is 100-500 individuals.

Percentage of Participants Who Died Assessed From Point of Randomization [ Time Frame: Randomization [Day 1 of Cycle 2 (4-week cycles)] and weekly thereafter for up to 46 months. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Overall survival (OS) assessed from the point of randomization was defined as the time from randomization to the date of death due to any cause. Participants still alive at the time of analysis were censored at the date they were last known to be alive.

OS Assessed From Point of Randomization [ Time Frame: Randomization [Day 1 of Cycle 2 (4-week cycles)] and weekly thereafter for up to 46 months. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

OS assessed from the point of randomization was defined as the median time, in months, from randomization to the date of death due to any cause. Participants still alive at the time of analysis were censored at the date they were last known to be alive. The 95 percent (%) confidence interval (CI) was determined using Kaplan-Meier methodology.

Secondary Outcome Measures:

Percentage of Participants With Disease Progression or Death as Assessed From Point of Randomization [ Time Frame: Randomization [Day 1 of Cycle 2 (4-week cycles)] and weekly thereafter for up to 46 months. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Progression-free survival (PFS) as assessed from the point of randomization was defined as the time from randomization to the first occurrence of progressive disease (PD) according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) or death due to any cause. For target lesions (TLs), PD was defined as at least a 20% increase in the sum of longest diameter (SLD) of TLs, taking as reference the smallest SLD recorded since the treatment started. For non-target lesions (NTLs), PD was defined as unequivocal progression of existing NTLs. Participants who had neither progressed nor died at time of analysis were censored at the date of last tumor assessment.

PFS Assessed From Point of Randomization [ Time Frame: Randomization [Day 1 of Cycle 2 (4-week cycles)] and weekly thereafter for up to 46 months. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

PFS assessed from the point of randomization was defined as the median time, in weeks, from randomization to disease progression or death due to any cause. Participants who had neither progressed nor died at time of analysis were censored at the date of last tumor assessment. The 95% CI was determined using Kaplan-Meier methodology.

Percentage of Participants With a Best Overall Response (BOR) of Confirmed Complete Response (CR) or Partial Response (PR) According to RECIST [ Time Frame: BL, Weeks 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, every 12 weeks thereafter until disease progression for up to 46 months. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

BOR was defined as a confirmed CR or PR for at least 4 weeks. CR was defined as the disappearance of all TLs. PR was defined as at least a 30% decrease in the SLD of the TLs, taking as a reference the baseline (BL) SLD. The 95% CI for one sample binomial was determined using Pearson-Clopper method.

Percentage of Participants With a CR, PR, Stable Disease (SD), or PD According to RECIST [ Time Frame: BL, Weeks 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, every 12 weeks thereafter until disease progression for up to 46 months. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

CR was defined as the disappearance of all TLs. PR was defined as at least a 30% decrease in the SLD of the TLs, taking as a reference the BL SLD SD was defined as neither sufficient decrease in SLD to qualify for PR nor sufficient increase in SLD to qualify for PD. PD was defined as at least a 20% increase in the SLD of TLs, taking as reference the smallest SLD recorded since the treatment started. The 95% CI for one sample binomial was determined using the Pearson-Clopper method.

Percentage of Participants With SD (Maintained for at Least 8 Weeks) or CR or PR (Maintained for at Least 4 Weeks) According to RECIST [ Time Frame: BL, Weeks 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, every 12 weeks thereafter until disease progression for up to 46 months. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Disease control was defined as a participant with a response of CR or PR for at least 4 weeks at any time during treatment, or SD that was maintained for at least 8 weeks after the start of treatment. The 95% CI for one sample binomial was determined using the Pearson-Clopper method.

Percentage of Participants Who Died as Assessed From Start of 4-Week Run-In [ Time Frame: BL and weekly thereafter for up to 46 months. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

OS assessed from the start of the 4-week run in period was defined as the time from BL to the date of death due to any cause. Participants still alive at the time of analysis were censored at the date they were last known to be alive.

OS Assessed From Start of 4-Week Run-In [ Time Frame: BL and weekly thereafter for up to 46 months. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

OS assessed from the start of the 4-week run in period was defined as the median time, in months, from BL to the date of death, due to any cause. Participants who were still alive at the time of analysis were censored at the date they were last known to be alive. The 95% CI was determined using Kaplan-Meier methodology.

Percentage of Participants With Disease Progression or Death as Assessed From the Start of 4-Week Run-In [ Time Frame: BL, Weeks 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, every 12 weeks thereafter until disease progression or death for up to 46 months. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

PFS as assessed from the start of 4-week run-in was defined as the time from BL to the first occurrence of PD according to RECIST or death due to any cause. For TLs, PD was defined as at least a 20% increase in the SLD of TLs, taking as reference the smallest SLD recorded since the treatment started. For NTLs, PD was defined as unequivocal progression of existing NTLs. Participants who had neither progressed nor died at time of analysis were censored at the date of last tumor assessment.

PFS Assessed From the Start of 4-Week Run-In [ Time Frame: BL, Weeks 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, every 12 weeks thereafter until disease progression or death for up to 46 months. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

PFS assessed from the start of 4-week run-in was defined as the median time, in weeks, from BL to disease progression or death due to any cause. Participants who had neither progressed nor died at time of analysis were censored at the date of last tumor assessment. The 95% CI was determined using Kaplan-Meier methodology.

Participants received erlotinib, beginning at 150 mg/day, PO, once daily, and increasing in increments of 50 mg every 2 weeks up to a maximum of 250 mg/day, until development of a grade 2 rash, or occurrence of other, non-rash, dose-limiting toxicity; treatment was continued until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, death or withdrawal. Participants also received gemcitabine, 1000 mg/m^2, IV, on Days 1, 8, and 15 of consecutive 4 week cycles until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Drug: Erlotinib, escalating dose

100mg, PO, once daily, escalating to a maximum of 250mg, PO, once daily

other malignancies within last 5 years, except for adequately treated cancer in situ of the cervix, or basal or squamous cell skin cancer.

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Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00652366